Our Town

The Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block, which is celebrating its 95th anniversary, received a gift last month of $1.5 million from longtime museum benefactors Alice and Paul Baker to support art education at the museum. The TMA Education Center will be renovated and renamed the Alice Baker… Read more »

Front row (L-R): Marcia Abelson, Kathy Cohen, Selma Leff, Dana Adler; back row: Bonnie Abelson, Nancy Lappitt, Andrea Markzon, Stacy Iveson, Cantor Janece Cohen, Marla Handler, Paula Riback, Marlene Brumbaugh

Sisterhood evening with UA softball recruiter Congregation Or Chadash Sisterhood held a dinner Sunday, Nov. 18 at El Charro with guest speaker Stacy Iveson, director of recruiting-operations for the University of Arizona women’s softball team. Iveson, a former Wildcat player and coach, won four junior college national championships as… Read more »

Rabbi Billy Lewkowicz reads “Our Eight Nights of Hanukkah.”

A Hanukkah celebration, PJ Library-style Around 90 people, including children, parents, and grandparents, attended PJ Library and PJ Our Way’s “Let It Glow: A Hanukkah Celebration” at the east side Barnes & Noble on Sunday, Dec. 2. Rabbi Billy Lewkowicz read “Our Eight Nights of Hanukkah” by Michael J. Rosen,… Read more »

50th-anniversary celebration Marshall and Susan Rubin celebrated their 50th anniversary, which was officially on Aug. 11, with a party Oct. 21 for family and friends. About 55 people attended the party, held at Culinary Dropout, including the Rubin’s adult sons and their families, who live in Tucson, and Susan’s… Read more »

PAWS Veterinary Center celebrated its 10th anniversary with an open house party on Oct. 27. Owned by Randy Aronson, VMD, CCRT, and his wife, Geren Thurston, DVM, the facility offers holistic, integrative care, blending conventional and complementary veterinary therapies.   Bruce D. Greenberg, real estate consultant and analyst has… Read more »

Beth Braun and the University/Rincon High School Primaveras dance group have been invited to perform at the 75th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, France, in June 2020. As official representatives of  the United States, the Primaveras will perform at the D-Day Anniversary Parade, the International Salute to Liberation, and… Read more »

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Beth Nakhai, Ph.D, an associate professor at The Arizona Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Arizona, recently published an article, “How to Avoid Gender-Based Hostility During Fieldwork” in The Chronicle of Higher Education. The article relates to Nakhai’s ongoing work as head of the American Schools of… Read more »

Debra S. Jacobs, an occupational therapist for more than 30 years, published her second book, “Safety and Consent for Kids and Teens with Autism or Special Needs: A Parent’s Guide” (Jessica Kingsley Publishers). She previously co-authored “Everyday Activities to Help Your Young Child with Autism Live Life to the… Read more »

Dana Adler has been elected president of the Women of Reform Judaism Pacific District for a two-year term. She will be installed at the WRJ 2018 Pacific District Convention, which will be held in San Diego Oct. 18-21. The district comprises 13 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. Adler… Read more »

Tucson Hebrew Academy’s student government held its annual Passport to Peace event Monday, Sept. 17. Taking place around the Jewish High Holidays, it provides students an opportunity to reflect and to learn about ways they can do mitzvot and actively participate in tikkun olam (repair of the world). Representatives… Read more »

More than 75 people attended Splish Splash in the Sukkah, a joint event co-hosted by Tucson Hebrew Academy, PJ Library and PJ Our Way on Sunday, Sept. 30. The event included a reading of “Leo and Blossom’s Sukkah” by Jane Breskin Zalben, making rain sticks in the THA sukkah,… Read more »

Liz Kanter Groskind

Liz Kanter Groskind was recently installed as the board chair of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, a national advocacy organization, for a three-year term. With a background in management, executive coaching, marketing, human resources and charitable planning, she has run her own consulting business for 20 years. A… Read more »

David Ivers

Arizona Theatre Company Artistic Director David Ivers will return to his native California after being named artistic director at the 55-year-old Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory Theatre in Costa Mesa, California. Ivers will continue his ATC co-executive leadership responsibilities with Managing Director Billy Russo until assuming the new position… Read more »

Tucson J revamps art gallery The Tucson Jewish Community Center revealed its renovated Fine Art Gallery on Sunday, Sept. 16 at the artists’ reception for “Simcha,” a group show featuring 13 members of the Tucson Jewish Artists. Approximately 100 people turned out for the exhibit. The gallery features a… Read more »

Meg Sivitz, Brandeis National Committee Tucson chapter co-vice president of the book business and former chapter president, was honored by National Board President Madalyn Friedberg with a presidential citation. Paintings by Tucson artist Devy Wolff are part of an exhibit at Tucson International Airport, “Space Connections,” which also includes… Read more »

The Tucson Jewish Community Center is holding a September promotion, “State of the Heart Community.” All new members who join in September can direct half of their first month’s dues to one of three charities:  Ben’s Bells, Literacy Connects, and Youth on Their Own. For more information, visit www.tucsonjcc.org/heart.… Read more »

Young Women’s Cabinet members celebrate Shabbat at the Hacienda Del Sol Guest Ranch Resort, Aug. 17. (L-R) Simone Krame, Jenny Rothschild, Laura Kravec, Karen Sadow, Rachel Jarrett, Melissa Landau (YWC alum), Lindsay Berkman, Katie Stellitano, Meg Knight, Jennifer Bell (YWC alum), Jennifer Selco, Bronwyn Sternberg, Nicole Zuckerman-Morris (YWC co-chair), and Kathy Gerst (YWC co-chair) (Not pictured: Rachel Haimowitz, Aimee Katz, Jamie Kippur, Ally Ross)

Alumnae, new members mingle at Young Women’s Cabinet retreat The members of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona’s 2018-2019 Young Women’s Cabinet held their annual retreat last month. They spent 24 hours celebrating Shabbat, getting to know each other, learning about the Tucson Jewish community and the mission of… Read more »

Young leaders help Federation disburse $10,000 The Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona recently awarded $10,000 to local agencies as part of its 2018 Young Leadership Campaign Special Teams initiative. Each team determined in May where to allocate their share of the JFSA funding. Team (Adam) Goldstein and Team (Isaac)… Read more »

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Geri-Lynn Bertagnolli has joined the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona as campaign administrative assistant. Bertagnolli, a Tucson native, has an M.B.A. in e-commerce as well as B.S. degrees in business administration and business management from the University of Phoenix, where she also earned a certificate in human resources management.… Read more »

Abbie Kozolchyk on a recent research trip to Samoa (Courtesy Abbie Kozolchyk)

Former Tucsonan Abbie Kozolchyk was included in a Tripbase® listing of “100 Favorite Travel Writers.” Kozolchyk has written for Conde Nast Traveler, Food & Wine, Cosmopolitan, and Forbes Traveler, among other publications. Her book, “The World’s Most Romantic Destinations,” was published by National Geographic. Aimee Katz completed a summer… Read more »